Matti Schmid started strong at The American Express on the PGA Tour but a late setback dropped him down the leaderboard.
Matti Schmid delivered an impressive opening round at The American Express tournament on the PGA Tour, shooting a 67, 5 under par. However, a double bogey on the 18th hole prevented an even better score. After the first day, Schmid sits tied 51st, just two strokes shy of the top 20. Meanwhile, Stephan Jäger carded a 71 (1 under par) to lie T118, and Sepp Straka scored a 72, placing him at T131. Both will need significant improvement on Friday to make the cut. Leaders Min Woo Lee and Pierceson Coody sit at 10 under par, followed by a chasing pack including Scottie Scheffler and Robert MacIntyre at 9 under par.
PGA Tour: Matti Schmid’s Outstanding Round Until the Final Hole
At The American Express on the Nicklaus Tournament Course, Schmid capitalized on excellent conditions. He started the day with a precise drive near the green on the first hole, resulting in a birdie. He added two more birdies on the front nine at the par-5s on holes 4 and 7, positioning himself 3 under par. His back nine began even better with birdies on holes 10 and 11, followed by a par on 12, then two more birdies to reach 7 under par. However, a misplayed second shot on hole 15 forced a drop and his first bogey. He rebounded quickly with his eighth birdie on hole 16 and seemed set to finish in the top 20. Unfortunately, a costly double bogey on the final hole left him at 5 under par and tied 51st after round one.
Stephan Jäger and Sepp Straka Fall Back
Stephan Jäger began his round poorly on the back nine, starting with a bogey and double bogey, putting him 3 over par early. He improved with birdies on holes 16 and 18 to get back to 1 over par, though a birdie on hole 3 temporarily set him back. Closing strong with birdies on holes 5, 8